[Goanet-News] Aam aadmi chief minister sings tune of mining lobby (Stray Thoughts, Goan Observer)

[Goanet News]

STRAY THOUGHTS [Rajan Narayan in the Goan Observer]
goanobserver at hotmail.com * June 28-July 4, 2008

AAM AADMI CHIEF MINISTER SINGS TUNE OF MINING LOBBY

AND A FEW more stray thoughts and a few more observations for
yet another Sunday. For a Sunday following the week when
Manohar Parrikar shot himself in the foot by making
irresponsible allegations against social activists fighting
the depredations of the mining lobby in Colamb and Advalpal.

For a Sunday following the week when the Chief Minister,
Digambar Kamat, betrayed his intimate links with the mining
lobby. For a Sunday following the week when Sujoy Gupta,
former Gomantak Times editor, made an ass of himself. For a
Sunday following the week when yet another skeleton tumbled
out of the Corporation of the City of Panjim (CCP) cupboard.

For a Sunday following the week when the campaign against the
mega housing projects in Benaulim and Colva escalated. For a
Sunday following the week when the Campal parade ground
literally turned into a garbage dump. For a Sunday following
the week when the income ceiling for availing of loans for
studies in the country and abroad was raised to favour the
Director of Higher Education and Chairman of the HSSC Board,
Bhaskar Nayak.

FOOT-IN-MOUTH

AND a few stray thoughts on how Manohar Parrikar shot himself
in the foot by claiming, at the meeting of the house
committee on Home Affairs, that a Naxalite module has been
functioning in the mining belt.

With his usual bravado, Manohar Parrikar, who was presiding
over the House Committee on Home Affairs, insisted that the
protests against illegal mining in Colamb and Advalpal were
being orchestrated by Naxalites.

Parrikar even reportedly claimed that the locals, who are
predominantly tribal, were being shown films on how to make
'koitas'. Which itself is absurd, because Goans do not need
any instructions on making 'koitas'. Goans have been making
'koitas' for years and every home in the rural areas and
possibly even in some urban areas has more than one 'koita'.
Not because Goans are terrorists or Naxalites but because
'koitas' are essential for the plucking of coconuts.

RAJESH PATNEKAR

IRONICALLY, Parrikar's own party MLA, Rajesh Patnekar, has
been extending support to those protesting against illegal
and irresponsible mining operations, particularly the
pollution caused during the transport of ore by road.

          Moreover, the Sanguem MLA, Vasudev Gaonkar, in
          which Colamb -- the epicentre of the anti-mining
          movement falls -- is also a member of the BJP. So
          much so, if as Manohar Parrikar alleges, Naxalites
          have infiltrated the anti-mining movement in Colamb
          and Advalpal (which falls under Bicholim
          constituency), the local MLA could not have been
          unaware of it.

It is not as though protests against the depredations of
mining in these villages is a recent phenomenon. In fact, I
recall visiting the Colamb area almost five years ago, when
the situation was already quite bad.

Perhaps it is not a coincidence that Manohar Parrikar is
targeting the social activists in Colamb. In fact, I am
convinced that the real target of Manohar Parrikar is not so
much the mine owners but the Church, or more specifically the
Don Bosco Order.

REAL TARGET

THIS is because it is Brother Philip of the Don Bosco Order
who first took the initiative to mobilize the local villagers
against the depedations of the mining lobby in the area.
Obviously, Manohar Parrikar sees Brother Philip and his
associates as threats to the BJp dominance of the Sanguem
constituency. The targeting of Sebastian Rodrigues fits in
the Parrikar agenda fo polarizing Sanguem along communal
lines.

Unfortunately for him, the largely Gawda and other Scheduled
Tribe population are fully aware of who their real friends
are. Caught on the wrong foot, and perhaps shaken by the
outrage that his remarks provoked, Parrikar has tried to
backtrack.

Parrikar's comment about the alleged infiltration of the
Students' Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) activists into Goa
is even more mischevious. Obviously, Manohar Parrikar is
preparing a fresh campaign to target the minority Muslim
community, which, he knows, has traditionally been a Congress
votebank.

He can always trigger another communal riot, as he did in
Curchorem three years ago, by raising the bogey of SIMI
activists having taken sanctuary in Goa. It is disturbing
that no one has protested against the acquittal of those
accused in the Curchorem rioting.

BEHIND THE PRESSURE

AND a few stray thoughts on Digambar Kamat, the
self-proclaimed champion of the 'aam aadmi' exposing his
intimate links with the mining lobby.

I understand from Home Ministry and Police sources that it is
Digambar Kamat who has been pressurising the police to
crack-down on non-existent and imaginary Naxalite modules in
the mining belt, particularly in Colamb and Advalpal.

It is, of course, merely a coincidence that a mine-owner
considered extremely close to Digambar Kamat has been the
main target of social activists in Colamb. In raising the
bogey of Naxal infiltration of the movement against the
depredations of the mining lobby, Digambar is only echoing
the mischevious insinatuions of mine owners close to him.

DIGAMBAR EXPOSED

MINE owners are particularly agitated over the
intensification of the agitation against illegal activities
of the mine owners, because Colamb and Advalpal are literally
gold mines for the mining industry.

The agitations are affecting their revenues badly and this is
the main provocation for spreading misinformation and
disinformation that Naxals have infiltrated these gold mines.
Digambar owes his chief minister's kodel to the mining lobby
and has no choice but to dance to their tunes. What he does
nto understand is that the victims of the depredations of the
mining companies are also aam aadmis. So much so, his
readiness to not only endorse but act on the misinformation
and disinformation of mining barons, has only resulted in
exposing the hypocrisy of his claims to be the champion of
the 'aam aadmi'.

          The government of Goa and the people of Goa may not
          derive any benefit from the mining industry or the
          recent boom in the demand for Goan ore, and the
          windfall profits that the mining industry has made
          consequent to the steep increase in the prices of
          ore in the international market, but politicians
          cutting across party lines have always been major
          beneficiaries of the generosity of mine owners. And
          heading the list of people who have benefitted from
          the generosity of mine owners, at least in the
          recent past, is Digambar Kamat.

RANE LINKS

AMONG the other beneficiaries of the mining lobby have been
Pratapsing Raoji Rane and Manohar Parrikar. Indeed, according
to Parrikar, as many as ten MLAs are agents of the mining
lobby.

Since mine owners contribute so much to the personal welfare
and well-being of politicians in Goa, it is not surprising
that politicians have always extended patronage and
protection to the mining lobby.

Indeed, it is alleged that Digambar Kamat's son-in-law,
Govindraj Dempo, is now deeply involved in mining in
partnership with Dinar Tarcar. Successive chief ministers in
Goa have refused to see any evil, hear any evil or speak any
evil against the mining industry. But labelling social
activists as Naxalites is already boomeranging on the
politicians.

SUJOY GUPTA

AND a few stray observations on how Sujoy Gupta, the former
editor of Gomantak Times and till recently the metropolitan
editor of the NDTV, made a complete ass of himself in his new
avatar as public relations consultant to a major mining
group.

Sujoy Gupta is alleged to have masterminded the press
conference at which a horticulturist, Venkatesh Desai, and
some mining transport contractors, endorsed the irresponsible
accusation of Manohar Parrikar that Naxals had infiltrated
the movement against the depredations of the mining industry
in Colamb and Advalpal.

The first principle in public relations is that people or
groups making a counter allegation should have some
credibility. It should have been clear to Sujoy Gupta, or
whoever put him up to it, that the rag tag group of so-called
horticulturists and locals dependent on, and beneficiaries
of, the mine owners would not have any credibility.

At the solidarity meeting held on Monday, not surprisingly,
several speakers targeted Sujoy Gupta. The anger and
indignation was even greater because, in his earlier avatar
as editor of the Gomantak Times, Sujoy Gupta had earned
goodwill and credibility for exposing the misdeeds of
politicians and businessmen.

I have always been appalled by the stupidity of corporate
organisations anxious to do damage control, when they are
caught out in their sins of ommission and commission. When
you are wrong, the best strategy is to admit your
transgressions and at least profess repentance. Adopting a
belligerent attitude, or worse still, getting involved in a
slanging match, is always counter productive.

In fact, by his ham-handed attempt at media management, Sujoy
has only made the situation worse for the mining industry.
Sujoy, by his lack of understanding of the ground situation
in Goa or perhaps in his anxiety to please his new employers,
has destroyed his own credibility and forfeited the goodwill
he enjoyed in Goa and among Goans.

CCP SKELETONS

AND a few stray thoughts on the new skeletons that have been
tumbling out of the cupboards of the Corporation of the City
of Panjim.  Close in the wake of the parking scam, comes the
casino scam.

On May 11, 2008, the CCP unanimously passed a resolution
against the proliferation of casinos in the River Mandovi.
The resolution made it clear that the CCP would not grant any
permissions or licenses for on-shore facilities for the new
casinos in Panjim which falls under its jurisdiction.

This would have effectively frustrated the attempts of the
new casinos to park themselves in the River Mandovi. This is
because even offshore casinos need to have ticketing offices
and lounges for their customers, not to  mention adequate
parking space for those intending to patronize the casinos.
The case in point being the offices and reception areas of
the sole existing so-called offshore casino, the Caravela,
which has almost 200 square metres of built up space close to
the River Mandovi.

But apparently, the resolution of the CCP, like I suspect
most of its resolutions, was really intended to facilitate
extortion of money from the prospective casino operators.

Now, it turns out that, despite the resolution adopted by the
CCP on Tuesday, June 11, not to provide any permissions or
licenses for onshore facilities within the jurisdiction of
the CCP, a license has been granted to the casino promoted by
the Leela group which has already been granted a parking lot
in the Captain of Ports jetty.

The allegation is that the Leela casino has been granted
permission to set up an onshore casino for a kickback of Rs
50 lakhs. Apparently the original sum demanded was Rs 1
crore.

Since the beneficiaries of all the extortion rackets int he
CCP are members of the ruling group, which comprises the
Babush faction, the Opposition group, which has been deprived
of the loaves and fishes, understandably seesk to sabotage
the illegal deals.

It is not a coincidence that it was Surendra Furtado, the NCP
MLA, who has taken on the role of whistle-blower both in the
case of the parking scam and the casino scam. Neither of
which could have happened without the knowledge or the
benediction of the de factor Mayor of Panjim, Babush
Monserrate.

It is no secret that Naguesh Karishetty,the corporator
arrested in connection with the parking scam, is a close
associate of the Monster Rat and in fact participated
actively and vigorously in the Babush-led attack on teh
Panjim police station. The allegation is that the license
granted for an onshore facility for the Leela casino was
pre-dated to give the impression that it was issued before
the CCP resolution opposing casinos.

MEGA PROJECTS

AND a few stray observations on the continuing campaign
agaisnt mega housing projects. As we had predicted, the
Directorate of Panchayats has stayed the actions taken by
sarpanchas in Benaulim and Colva.

The sarpanchas, under pressure from local activists, had
selectively ordered Stop Work orders on the construction of
mega housing projects.

Apparently the Director of Panchayats had ignored the gram
sabha resolutions of even the recommendations of the
sarpanchas and stayed the Stop Work orders. On the contrary,
the Director of Panchayats and the officials are accused of
subverting the gram sabha resolutions. This led to the
Benaulikars targetting the office of the Director of
Panchayats.

The activists in Benaulim were demanding that licenses for
the mega housing projects should be cancelled, which the
Deputy Director of Panchayats was not willing to do. There
have also, however, been accusations that the Benaulim
activists owing alleigance to Churchill Alemao have been
selective in targetting builders.

In Colva, the police have incurred the wrath of the local
activists by arresting them when they allegedly threatened
the representatives of the builders and drove away the labour
employed from the site.

The builders obviously do not seem to have woken up to the
fact that their political patrons cannot protect them any
longer. That they cannot ride roughshod over the will of the
people. That functionaries who are caught up in the middle
are sarpanchas and panchas who have facilitated the licenses
for the mega housing projects.

CAMPAL GROUND

AND a few stray thoughts on the degeneration of the Campal
parade ground. The Campal parade ground, as the name itself
suggests, was created to hold important parades on occasions
like Republic Day and Liberation.

The Campal ground has also historically been the venue for
the majority of the consumer exhibitions that keep being held
in Goa, much to the anger of the ordinary shop-keepers. The
Campal ground is also adjacent to the prestigious Bal Bhavan,
which promotes a number of activities for children. It is
also adjacent to the Home Science College and the
Architecture College.

Flanking one side of the Campal parade ground is the Campal
Clinic, which houses the consulting rooms of several doctors
in Panjim. The Panjim YMCA is also located close to the
Campal parade ground.

It is therefore all the more shocking that it has become the
the latest dumping ground for the city's garbage. Surely, the
dumping of garbage at the Campal parade ground can be
injurious to the health of the children patronising the Bal
Bhavan, not to mention the students of the ARchitecture
College and the Home Science College. Or, maybe, the CCP has
started dumping garbage on the Campal ground for the benefit
of the doctors of the Campal Clinic. Does this mean that the
Campal parade ground will now only see parades of garbage?

And a last stray thought for yet another Sunday. The income
ceiling of parents for their children to avail of
scholarships by the Goa government has been icnreased
steeply. Now the creamy layer can also benefit from the
increase in the ceiling.

To avail of a scholarship to study in the country, a parent's
income had to be below Rs 400,000 (per year). This figure has
now been raised to Rs 500,000. To avail of a scholarship to
study abroad, the ceiling was Rs 500,000 which has now been
increased to Rs 600,000.

But I understand that the real reason why the ceiling has
been increased is to make the daughter of the new chairman of
the SSC Board and the Director of Higher Education, Bhaskar
Nayak, eligible for scholarship to study abroad.

Even more interesting is the fact that the scholarships are
only open to those who wish to pursue post-graduate studies
abroad. Bhaskar Nayak's daughter is pursuing a doctorate, but
is still regarded as eligible for the scholarship!